1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electrical circuit and a method for circuit programming and test, and more particularly to an anti-fuse circuit and a method for anti-fuse programming and test.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional anti-fuses are similar in construction to capacitors. The anti-fuses have a pair of conductive plates separated from each other by a dielectric such as oxide or nitride. The dielectric is changed into a conductive regime by applying a differential voltage between the plates, where the differential voltage is sufficient to break down the dielectric, such that the electrical connection between the plates is established.
Typically, a high programming voltage is applied to the integrated circuit (IC) externally. It is a disadvantage of the anti-fuses that the programmed resistance may vary over a considerable range and is often far higher than the desired. Furthermore, the magnitude of the programming voltage that can be applied to the anti-fuses is severely limited due to the presence of other circuitry.